The Christmas Quest
Reviewed by L. Sue
While watching the trailer for this movie, the hook for me
was "Indiana Jones meets Hallmark Christmas movies." And how can we
say no to that? Enter our intrepid archaeologist Stefanie Baxter, whose mother
was also an explorer/adventurer. We see in flashback that Mom was obsessed with
Icelandic Christmas folklore, specifically finding the Yule Lad Treasure. Mom
missed many holidays, celebrations, and, we assume, family dinners with Stef in
pursuit of this elusive prize.
But in true Hallmark fashion, where we inevitably become our
mothers or, at the very least, become what we hate the most, Stef too is a
work-obsessed adventurer. At Christmas, she is offered the opportunity by the
rich mogul Victor Grimes to finish what her mom had started and find the Yule
Lad Treasure. Victor is willing to bankroll the entire expedition, but what really
gets Stef on board is that he has the first clue: a manuscript that decodes
everything (I think, it is some starting point). However, the words need to be
interpreted. Where would one find someone skilled in reading ancient Norse
runes?
Enter Chase Baxter, who, as you might guess from the same
last name, happens to be Stef’s ex-husband and is quite handy at deciphering
old Norse runes when he's not selling Christmas trees on his family’s tree
farm. One can see he's the "computer guy/guy in the chair" of this
team, with Stef being the "X marks the spot" person. There is a
shocking lack of boulder-crashing, snake-dodging, or fires being set for those
more accustomed to Indy’s style of exploring, but this is only a 90-minute
movie, and there are 13 Yule Lads with 13 different clues to get through.
We go in-depth for the first couple of clues—which all go
rather smoothly. They find each clue with great ease and certainty. However,
one can’t conduct a treasure hunt without some kind of enemy or opposition.
Sure enough, our two explorers get snowed into a cave. Chase chooses to scream
for help, which seems futile to Stef. She has a point, as there’s no one around
for miles, so who exactly is Chase trying to reach? But at least he's doing
something. Stef seems to think that luck or fate will intervene and save them.
This eventually happens in the form of an unknown lady who is willing to
exchange a rope for Stef’s mom’s diary. Very "Indy and the Last
Crusade."
Stef actually seems willing to die to preserve her mom’s
work, which is counter to Chase’s desire to live and explains his willingness
to entertain the offer. In what must be a first, Stef loses this argument, and
up goes the diary with all her mom’s work and the clues to the magical
treasure. If this were an Indy movie, the rope wouldn’t come down, but this is
a Hallmark Christmas movie, so even though there is a momentary delay...the
rope comes, and our two explorers are saved! No worse for wear, the loss of the
journal is not even a speed bump, as we’re treated to a montage where we find
the next 11 or clues. We learn that Stef ended their marriage because she was
tired of seeing Chase so unhappy. Chase seemed mostly unhappy during their
marriage because Stef often chose exciting expeditions over their relationship.
However, they never stopped loving each other.
What the movie montage glosses over are the finer details of
the Yule Lads mythos. We don’t get to hear about Spoon Licker, who according to
Wiki only steals wooden spoons—so metal spoons are probably safe. One is hardly
surprised that Spoon Licker is brother to Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door
Slammer, and Sausage Swiper. The names seem pretty self-evident and are not
some joke I’m playing.
I, for one, would have liked to learn more about Doorway
Sniffer, Meat Hook, and Candle Stealer, but one doesn’t watch Hallmark movies
to learn. That doesn’t mean you won’t learn something, though. For instance,
the Yule Cat, which is a real statue in Reykjavík, deserves more mention.
According to legend, the cat eats those who don’t get new clothes for
Christmas. If there is a running theme through these Icelandic folk tales, it's
that back in the day, people were hungry and, in the dead of winter, were looking
for any scrap, crumb, or morsel of food. Apparently, even a candle would do in
a pinch, as it was made of edible tallow. I appreciate that Hallmark isn’t
always focused on Santa Claus or St. Nicholas and gives us other mythology like
the Yule Lads. Who would have known that Window Peeper is a Yule Lad who looks
through windows for things to steal? We presume he targets items that Stubby
hasn’t already taken.
But back to Stef and Chase—they seem to have lost no
substantial knowledge with the loss of the diary, except for its sentimental
value. Indeed, with only their wits and the internet, they make it all the way
to the last clue with hardly a thought about the lost diary. The final clue
requires them to infiltrate the Prime Minister’s Black Tie Christmas Gala at
the Natural History Museum to find a special door. Easy peasy, right? A little
fake kissing to mislead security, which totally meant nothing to them, and
voila, they have the final clue. They hold the final clue to the Yule Lad
Treasure in their hands!
As it's Candle Stealer’s clue, a flame to the paper reveals a
predictably cryptic message: “Descend below to find the answers above; the end
of their story is the beginning.” Moneybags Grimes is giddy with excitement,
convinced this means the Yule Lad Treasure is where the Lad’s story started, at
Dimmuborgir, their ancient home. Grimes makes the mistake of announcing they’ll
take his jet and meet the buyer at Dimmuborgir, not realizing that Stef is a
“This belongs in a museum” archaeologist, following in the great tradition of
Indy and her mom.
This is where the “break” occurs: Chase agrees to stay with
Grimes in case something found at Dimmuborgir needs translating. Naturally,
this upsets Stef, who Chase catches up to as she huffs away with her luggage as
Grimes kicks her out of the accommodations. It turns out Chase only said what
he did to get the totem back from Grimes; of course, he would never choose
someone else over Stef!
So off Chase and Stef go, aided by Karlotta, the one who was
following them and threw them the rope. It turns out Karlotta isn’t really the
enemy, but a descendant of Magnus Olafsson, sworn to protect the Yule Lad
Treasure from those who would exploit it. So back to where it all began, which
isn’t Dimmuborgir but Skalholt Cathedral—the start of Stef and Chase's
adventure. Of course, Stef is right, and they open the door to the Lads'
Treasure at the Cathedral, which is... disappointingly some candlesticks and
potatoes. These were the things the Yule Lads valued, although admittedly junk
to Stef, Chase, and pretty much any modern 21st-century human. The find is a
surprise to Stef, who looks hurt that her mom would have missed her childhood
hunting for these useless things, it turns out Mom had found the Yule Lads'
valuables years ago and left a card for Stef, writing that Stef was the
greatest treasure of her life. It all made sense to Stef now why her mom had
given up finding the treasure when she was a tween. The Yule Lads' story was a
rather long-winded way of saying to appreciate the things right in front of
you—like family and love.
So Chase and Stef are going to give love a second chance,
and their adventuring co-conspirators Uli and Karlotta find one another. And the
real villain Grimes…is left alone, without love or gold, atop some icy volcanic
cave. To ponder the question—if you could choose one ghost from Dicken’s
Christmas Carol to be haunted by, would you choose the Ghost of Christmas Past
like Stef, the Ghost of Christmas Present like Karlotta, or the Ghost of
Christmas Future like Chase? Deep thought indeed! gleðileg jól
Comments
Post a Comment